ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Michael_Elliott Monster and the Girl, The (1941) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Strange but effective film from Paramount mixes the noir and horror genres. Mobsters frame an innocent man for murder but before his execution he swears vengeance on them all. After his death a scientist (George Zucco) experiments by putting the dead man's brain into the body of a gorilla who goes out for revenge. The biggest problem with this film is its short running time of 65-minutes, which isn't enough time for the two stories to work. We get a fast paced and fun movie but it could and should have been a lot more. This is certainly a very weird film that noir and horror fans should check out.

petencin This is a great movie, the site review covers it well. The "monster gorilla" is almost just a sub-plot, the real monsters are the bad guys with their inhumanity. This is a movie full of actors you've never heard of and they all do their jobs well. I'm tired of modern movies where the digital image makers can create anything on the screen. I'll take real people, real actors, any day. Even the ape "monster" doesn't go over the top. Just all around excellent, great $1 VHS buy at Kroger!! Fine for the family and kids of any age, kudos to Skippy the Dog and all the other cast members for a fine piece of work. I bought this expecting a humorous, no budget, schlocky affair. I was surprised to find a serious piece of film making that is both entertaining and contains elements of morality and decency that are lacking in modern films and TV. The ape monster doesn't even appear until late in the film, I was actually starting to wonder if the box graphic of the gorilla was just a marketing ploy, selling horror genre tapes for $1 might be easier than selling unknown dramas? But the ape finally appears and carefully claims revenge for the fallen brain owner. Just excellent!

jim riecken (youroldpaljim) This Paramount film has the kind of outlandish plot often found in minor studio cheapies of the same period: Phillip Terry's sister (Ellen Drew) foolishly falls for a gangster and ends up sold into "white slavery." Her brother tries to rescue her but ends up getting framed for murder by the mobsters. Convicted and sent to die in the electric chair, his body ends up stolen by mad scientist George Zucco, who puts his brain in the body of a gorilla. The gorilla now with Phillip Terrys brain, escapes and proceeds to kill off the mobsters one by one. Along the way his dog instinctively knows the gorilla is his (hers?) old master and tags along on his murderous rampage of vengeance. If one view this film ignoring the outlandish plot, this actually a very well made film with good Paramount production values, good stylish direction by Stuart Heisler, good atmospheric photography, and good performances by most of the films cast. Charlie Gemora's gorilla costume is more realistic looking than the cheesy moth eaten suits worn by George Barrows or Ray Corrigan in minor studio pictures. Also Gemora manages express real feelings and emotions underneath that gorilla suit. Also Gemora's gorilla actually walks and gestures like a real gorilla. THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL is an incredible film and is recommend if you are looking for something really outlandish but not trashy.

dcole-2 OK, so it's about a human brain transplanted into an ape's body -- it's still a unique, original and stylish film. Director Stuart Heisler treats it all very seriously and the cast does a great job. It's beautifully shot and lit -- and there's even a sub-plot about white slavery and prostitution that's shocking for the time. A first-rate job by all concerned.